Ubie

I honestly don't quite know what to make of this. It's huge for a tablet, and runs Win8 instead of RT or PRO (isn't PRO pretty much 8?). Atom processor... I, uh, somebody want to chime in on what exactly this is good for. I want, but I certainly don't need.

conanthelibrarian

pernst

Ubie wrote:I honestly don't quite know what to make of this. It's huge for a tablet, and runs Win8 instead of RT or PRO (isn't PRO pretty much 8?). Atom processor... I, uh, somebody want to chime in on what exactly this is good for. I want, but I certainly don't need.

Buy enough of them you could make a really nice stepping stone walkway in your garden.

conanthelibrarian

morriea

Ubie wrote:I honestly don't quite know what to make of this. It's huge for a tablet, and runs Win8 instead of RT or PRO (isn't PRO pretty much 8?). Atom processor... I, uh, somebody want to chime in on what exactly this is good for. I want, but I certainly don't need.

Add the optional dock and you have a replacement for a laptop (underpowered, but runs everything up to Photoshop including legacy programs from W7) AND a tablet. I imagine the USB ports and microSD card slot will come in handy due to the 64GB Hard Drive.

I put a low bid on one of these at the cowboom auctions and won it. It came with the dock (mine is all white). I have only had it a couple days, so I am still getting familiar. The stylus is similar to the Galaxy Note and the ports are nice to have. The battery life is better than a laptop, but less than a good tablet (without the dock). I really have not had enough time with it to give a better overall impression. I do not think I want to give up my Android (Nexus 10) to use this as a tablet, but I probably no longer need a powerful laptop.

cantharis

Ubie wrote:I honestly don't quite know what to make of this. It's huge for a tablet, and runs Win8 instead of RT or PRO (isn't PRO pretty much 8?). Atom processor... I, uh, somebody want to chime in on what exactly this is good for. I want, but I certainly don't need.

it's basically an overpriced (if bought new) crippled laptop, Atom processor is what they put in netbooks and netbooks are only good for checking email, surfing web and maybe light word processing.

You can't play games on it unless you run BlueStack emulation software for Android (will run on AMD processors, not sure about intel) but even that I doubt that you can because Atom is known for horrendous graphics.

patrice2

I dunno...I don't like refurbs on a tablet unless they are waaay cheaper, because you can't get a Sq Trade 3 year accidental warranty...and anythin I'm going to move around off the desk that much is gonna get dropped, so I want my i d i o t insurance (when I just wrote the word wootmonkeys changed it to "curly"...I was only insulting myself!). I admit it. And you can get this at the Mothership for 581 WITH the docking keyboard or 514 without...that's not quite enough of a savings for me. YMMV

rx7outkast

I got one a month or so ago from cowboom....anyways...it's awesome. The size/weight is great, the build quality very solid, and it runs FULL windows 8. Also with the atom processor the battery goes the distance. Basically it's a near perfect device IMO. So good, in fact, I sold my Lenovo yoga 13.

id6klub

I actually love mine. Excellent battery life with the performance I need from it (it's, by no means, a workhorse). It plays HD video great and, yes, the Atom processor has come a long way. I have the keyboard dock with mine, as I need it as a supplemental laptop, at times. For this price, however, I would consider the full package with dock included for $581.37 @ Amazon (free shipping). They have a deal that gets you a $100 rebate via Amazon gift card by mail so that gets you the dock for not much extra and you get it all new. Yes, it puts you out of pocket a bit more, but you get the dock and you can buy a slew of items over time with the gift card (like a screen protector, case and 64GB microSD card for the tablet, for starters).

Staples recently had a deal for $399 brand new, as previously mentioned here. I wish the white one was available originally, but this color is pretty unique in person.

I bought mine from NewEgg for $649 and it has been worth every penny. Make sure to install all Samsung and Windows updates on it as soon as you get it for its best performance. My 2 cents...

id6klub

cantharis wrote:it's basically an overpriced (if bought new) crippled laptop, Atom processor is what they put in netbooks and netbooks are only good for checking email, surfing web and maybe light word processing.

You can't play games on it unless you run BlueStack emulation software for Android (will run on AMD processors, not sure about intel) but even that I doubt that you can because Atom is known for horrendous graphics.

You really need to field test this on THIS tablet or any new machine with a SSD before throwing mud on it. It isn't a gaming rig, but it certainly does more than you give it credit for.

darue

I got one of these after I had gift cards thrown at me during the holidays (for $500) and I feel that it's absolutely worth it, even at that price.

I bought the Microsoft Surface pen to use with this (Wacom makes basically all of the pens in the new pen enabled tablets, so they're mostly cross-compatible), and it works brilliantly as a note-taking device. Again, Wacom is behind the pen technology, and the tablet is largely up to snuff with regard to pen support - it's a bit iffy on the edges, but overall very good, with the kind of pressure-sensitivity that I've come to expect in a Wacom pen device. I draw on this with SAI and the experience is up there with the Intuos3 I use on my workstation at home, and it is an excellent device for writing notes in class, working flawlessly with Windows Journal and OneNote.

Otherwise, you get a few frames dropped with 1080p playback at times, but all 720p videos that I throw at it playback fine, and it works just about as well as you'd expect from a 2013 Atom device. For $400 I think this is an absolute bargain - My $300 netbook running an AMD E-450 APU (Hecate), which this tablet replaced, is basically the same in terms of overall performance. The main selling point of this is the pen and touch support and the thin form factor (It's thin and quite light in comparison to netbooks and a bit lighter than most 'ultrabooks'). I've had it freeze up once during use, but a quick reset fixed that and otherwise I've not had many problems with anything over the past 6 months of every day use, so I'm willing to dismiss that as a fluke. Also be warned that Bluestacks does not perform very well, but I really don't care for Android tablet apps anyway so it wasn't really a big deal. Fruit Ninja piddled along at maybe half the performance I'd get out of a proper android device, for example.

Of course, if you're not one to care about form factor and pen support, then by all means grab a cheap netbook instead and save some money. However, in my personal experience as a student who takes a lot of written notes, does digital art, and does not demand much out of his mobile devices (I save stuff like intensive gaming and CAD for my desktop workstation, for exmaple), this thing has been an absolute joy to use.

The accuracy plus the pressure sensing capability makes it more capable as an graphic canvas than an iPad or any other tablet with only a capacitive finger touch screen. Plus the Atom CPU means it can run the full spectrum of Windows graphics software. Not terribly fast, but they'll run.

I couldn't justify a real Wacom Cintiq, but this is (for me) 80% as good as the real thing, at less than half the price.

Only complaint so far: palm rejection isn't as good as a real Cintiq so I can't rest my hand on the panel.

I'm happy with the performance for the price, and I'm having tons of fun with Autodesk SketchBook Express on this thing.

Echoing another post: Definitely make sure you have all the firmware updates installed, as they dramatically improve overall performance. People who complain about intolerably slow performance probably haven't installed all the updates!

darue

Only complaint so far: palm rejection isn't as good as a real Cintiq so I can't rest my hand on the panel.

As I stated in my post, the Microsoft Surface pen works with this tablet, and it's much cheaper than the Bamboo Feel ($30 versus $80 new). It of course has lower build quality, but it's an option with the same features (side button and eraser) if you're tight on cash.

Also, with regard to palm rejection, I made a few desktop shortcuts that turn on/off touch entirely, and bound them to my taskbar for a somewhat hacked together on-the-fly pen-only mode. The way that Samsung wants you to do it involves logging in and out, to which I went "Balls to that!" and dug around until I found this much better alternative. Ideally I'd like to remap the rotation lock button to a touch-lock button, but haven't yet found a way.

kennyminot

I had my eye on this tablet for a couple months. First, I want to clear up a misperception: this tablet runs the full version of Windows 8, so you don't have to worry about any of the problems that come with the Surface RT or its brethren. You will be able to run standard Windows applications. Second, the main selling point of this tablet is the pen - if you have no need for the note-taking or drawing features, you probably will be able to find another Windows 8 tablet for a cheaper price (although, at the moment, this price is fairly rock bottom. You might be able to find the VivoTab for $50 less).

The main thing, though, is that you need to head to your local Staples and check out the form factor before you actually make a purchase. 11.6" is not bad for a netbook - in fact, I'm typing this post on a netbook that size - but it's huge for a tablet. You definitely can't hold the ATIV comfortably in one hand. For me, this was a deal breaker. I just couldn't see it being useful as a tablet at this size. Partially, this is because I was planning on using it to read and annotate academic articles - for many of you, the 11.6" size might actually be an advantage, especially if you are planning on using it to draw.

So just be aware: 11.6" is an enormous size. You need to experience it before making a final decision.

breaddrink

When shopping for a tablet I had to remind myself of what my criteria were for this purchase and not get swept away with the latest thing.

Android and ipads are completely different animals from these.

I was tempted by them for a moment, but reminded myself what I wanted a tablet for. I wanted what is essentially a giant phone, that runs casual games and calendars really well. It will synch with my phone, and allow me to run my life more efficiently and pretend I have a memory that lasts longer than 5 minutes.
That's what I got with my android tab.

These things...You're looking at a scaled down laptop without a keyboard. Battery life is a true problem. It's bad.
CPU power to run actual applications meant for a desktop or high powered laptop...Not going to realistically happen. It will run them, but it's going to be slow, and you'll wish you had something with more power, or you'll be searching for scaled down versions of apps that won't frustrate the crap out of you.

You'll want to add a keyboard to get full access and ease of inputting to those apps and maybe even a small mouse, and then it will strike you how you actually just wanted to buy a notebook or a full sized laptop in the first place.

You can see that this is where technology is leading us, but it just isn't ready yet.

mtobiassen

I bought one a few weeks ago. I work on a computer all day and when I get home I mostly just surf the web. When I am away from the house, I really don't want to carry a laptop because I mostly don't use it. With this tablet, I can run all the VPN programs I need (Win 8) but enjoy the simplicity of the apps (RT) when I'm just lounging around with my tablet. Hope this helps. The battery life is nice and I enjoy Sketchbook Pro with the Copic pens.

Distalled

1.This is a full version of Windows, not Windows 8 RT.. which is more similar to their cell phone OS in reality.

So good. You can install regular windows programs.

2. It's Samsung. They make their own stuff, usually from stem to stern.. and their good. Almost no one can say this in the market. The SPen stylus is very good.

The Bad:

1. The price is too high. Atom Win8 tablets can be found from good retailers for less.

2. It's big, and relatively heavy. Tablets suffer greatly from marginal weight increases since they spend time in one hand.

3. It's underpowered for anything but the bare minimum. Maybe a decent resolution movie. The atom processors, unlike other intel processors have not increased their raw horsepower over the years. They sip power better, and multitask better, but their ability to play games, run anything adobe, etc has in fact decreased marginally.

So.

Get this product if:

1. You want a large tablet that will lay on a table or on your lap. Maybe two hands.

2. Brand, and here it means something, does matter to you and is worth 50-100 bucks.

3. You accept that games up to the "mobile" level are acceptable, and otherwise want something for email, browsing, etc..

The included stylus is VERY good. Makes me wish it was an i3/i5 so I could use it for photo editing/graphic design.

offgridmanpolktn

So with all the comments on the spen being such a part of the positive experience is it actually included or not?
In the description it says no, but at the bottom listing what's in the box it says yes.
Hello Mods, anybody there to help with this?

mommadillo

Seems a little pricey for a refurb. I've got one of the Series 7 Slates with a Core i5 and love it - it makes a perfect laptop replacement. Just not sure how well this one will work with the underpowered CPU and only half the RAM.

coolmask

I travel for work quite a bit, and would love to carry (not have to pull out for security at the airports)something smaller than my laptop. I do ppt presentations and need to be able to connect to data projectors. Any way to do that with this device? I saw mini hdmi and usb ports. Thanks!

gak0090

clanecks wrote:Gizmodo and ExtremeTech both don't like it, main reason is that Clovertrail Atom isn't powerful enough to give you a smooth Win8 experience in desktop mode. Multitask is not recommended either.

Pass.

I put Windows 8 on an ExoPC slate (about this size) with an N450 Atom (passmark 275)- I was expecting the world to end. The original OS was windows 7 with an ExoPC proprietary touch overlay, I paid $200 for it as a refurb- I had nothing to lose. I was amazed that it even worked, let alone it fluid and not jerky at all with the windows 8 metrosexual tiles. Unless there is a bunch of crapware on today's tablet- it should run just fine on Windows 8, because the Z2760 has a passmark of 679. This is not a gaming machine by any means. This is something that basically you can hang out and surf on, answer emails, a little multimedia...and if needed hook up a keyboard and do real productivity apps like office. It means you can install a printer driver and print to whatever printer you want. This is basically where windows 8 shines.

rosskoes05

cantharis wrote:it's basically an overpriced (if bought new) crippled laptop, Atom processor is what they put in netbooks and netbooks are only good for checking email, surfing web and maybe light word processing.

You can't play games on it unless you run BlueStack emulation software for Android (will run on AMD processors, not sure about intel) but even that I doubt that you can because Atom is known for horrendous graphics.

That isn't true. You can probably play most games in the Windows Store... They are made for tablets and that's what this is... It's a tablet, not a laptop.

ThunderThighs

My son bought a Slate last summer to use as a drawing tablet in school (SCAD). He doesn't do as well with pen tablets on a computer - the disconnect between the surface and the monitor. He likes this because he's working right on his drawing.

I'm getting myself one so I can have something smaller than a laptop but with full MS Office and VPN capabilities.

benji1174

I bought one of these from Rakuten.com a while back. It was brand new, with the dock, for $450. I love it.

This is not a Surface Pro i5 processor. . . don't expect it act like one. It's also not $1000.

I wanted something I could connect to my home media server/NAS and easily print from. I have yet to find a Window's 8 app that it can't handle. It has a nice bright screen, but the speakers could be a bit louder.

This is a great little tablet and well worth $400. The dock is a nice upgrade, but I don't use it that much. The Atom processor is fine and I streem HD video with no problems. Don't believe all the haters, but also don't expect this to act like an ultrabook.

gak0090

This would have been a nice trial run on Win8 as a tablet OS with pen input for only $100 more.

I'm actually still strongly tempted to get it as well... as I don't have a windows portable at the moment, laptop or otherwise. Crazy I know.

Both of those tablets are great and can be used for entirely different reasons. Windows tablets will give you more productivity benefits and traditional programs- printer support etc, the Note gives you better multimedia, way better apps (compared to the windows touch apps), better note taking (if you use it for that. Bottom line is you need both just because. My wife can go out and buy a $400 purse that can't do anything more than what a $20 purse can do - but apparently she has reasoning as to why she has a whole gambit of purses. I am giving you justifiable cause to go ahead with your whim. Don't even get me stared on the Imelda Marcos shoe collection she has.

PeteCal

More serious.
(1) I have a USB writing tablet and I would like to "write" into MS Word docs but I can't master the hand/eye from table top to screen. This should solve that, am I right? Can I write on the screen and have Word convert to text? Is anybody doing that?

(2) A while back when Staples had these for $350 then $300 the next day it was said something about Staples got a batch with some bad connector. So they were clearing the stock. What are the odds these are the returns that were refirbed?

gak0090

More serious.
(1) I have a USB writing tablet and I would like to "write" into MS Word docs but I can't master the hand/eye from table top to screen. This should solve that, am I right? Can I write on the screen and have Word convert to text? Is anybody doing that?

(2) A while back when Staples had these for $350 then $300 the next day it was said something about Staples got a batch with some bad connector. So they were clearing the stock. What are the odds these are the returns that were refirbed?

If you are going to go with handwriting, I think the Galaxy Note would have worked better...but here is some info about this tablet and handwriting recognition:

fgarriel

bluemaple

ThunderThighs wrote:My son bought a Slate last summer to use as a drawing tablet in school (SCAD). He doesn't do as well with pen tablets on a computer - the disconnect between the surface and the monitor. He likes this because he's working right on his drawing.

I'm getting myself one so I can have something smaller than a laptop but with full MS Office and VPN capabilities.

Wish we needed another tablet - finally a respectable full (not RT) Windows tablet for a reasonable price... the favorable feedback for drawing on this has me pondering tho since it might be good for prototype sketching.

Woot.com is operated by Woot Services LLC.
Products on Woot.com are sold by Woot, Inc., other than items on Wine.Woot which are sold by the seller specified on the product detail page.
Product narratives are for entertainment purposes and frequently employ
literary point of view;
the narratives do not express Woot's editorial opinion.
Aside from literary abuse, your use of this site also subjects you to Woot's
terms of use
and
privacy policy.
Woot may designate a user comment as a Quality Post, but that doesn't mean we agree with or guarantee anything said or linked to in that post.